Machine for folding fabrics.



No. 727,304. PATBNTEMD MAY 5, 1903.

I A. DAUVBRGNE. MACHINE POB FOLDING FABRICS. l APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 12, 1902. -NO MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

F l cg l j No. 727,304. PATBNTED MAY 5, i903.

A. DAUVERGNE. Y MACHINE POR FOLDING FABRICS. Y

APPLIOATION IILBD JUNE 12, 1902.

N0 MODEL. Y 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

4 TH: Nonms sirens no, PHmoLlmo.. wxsmnamw D UNiTn STATES ANDR DAUVERGNE,

Patented May 5, 1903.

OF LYONS, FRANCE.

MACHINE FOR FOLDING FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,304, dated. May 5, 1903.

Application led .Tune 12, 1902. Serial No. 111,383. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, ANDR DAUVERGNE, a citizen of France, residing at Lyons, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Machines for Folding Fabrics, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description and for which I have made applications for patents in France on the 14th of December, 1901, and in Great Britain on the 13th of May, 1902.

The folding-machine forming the subject of the present invention is characterized by the combination of a special folder forming the folds of the fabric by a horizontal to-andfro motion on a movable bed, of two transverse nippers holding these folds in such manner that the fabric is never let loose, and of a feeding mechanism which delivers the fabric to the folder as required.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of the machine. Fig. 2 is a partial elevation, partly in section, showing the construction of the folder; and Figs. 3, 4, and 5 show the various positions of the folder at different times of the Working.

The machine is mounted between two parallel frames, one only of which, b, is shown in Fig. 1. The machine being symmetrical on each side of its longitudinal axis, it is to be understood that the parts mounted on this framing A are reproduced on the opposite framing.

The folder a, (shown in detail at Fig. 2) is jointed at c to the upper ends of levers f,'the lower articulations d of which slide in vertical slots d', formed in the framing. The

. middlej` of the leverfis connected by a link j h to a stationary bearing h, situated on the vertical axis passing through d, and the link j 72, is exactly half the length of the lever f. It results from this arrangement that the point c of articulation of the folder with the lever f is caused to move on a straight horizontal line @c To-and-fro motion is given to the folder a by a connecting-rod j 7e', jointed to a crank-pin 7e of the operating-disk Z, mounted on the driving-shaft m. The eccentricity of the crank-pin le is regulable to enable the stroke of the folder a to be varied according to the length of the folds.

The folder a (see Fig. 2) is composed of twoheads e e, jointed at c to the levers f. Upon these heads e are fixed two parallel transverse bars i t', distant from each other from six to eight millimeters, upon which can slide exteriorly upward and downward other wider bars or plates not', held at rest at their lowest position by springs o o, and so that their lower edge is at the level of the axis of articulation c c. The bars or plates n n are beveled at their lower part and perfectly polished over their entire surface. The folder a is held in the heads e e, secured to the levers f by springs o o. The heads e e are under the tension of springspp, attached at one end to the lower prolongations of the heads e and at the other end to a pin on the said levers f.

The fabric t, furnished by the feeder, which will be hereinafter described, and coming over a rod s, situated at the center of the machine, passes to the interior of the folder a between the bars 1l z' and follows the same in its to and fro motions. It is thus carried alternately below the nippers r r, While the bed u, carrying the folded fabric, exerts, by means of counterweights q, an upward pressure, retaining the folds formed. Each nipper fr is carried at its ends by small carriages fu and consists (see Figs. 4 and') of a cross-bar of wood or metal furnished with a band of caoutchouc or other suitable material coming into Vcontact with the fabric. This cross bar, guided vertically by parallel links y or by other suitable means, is of weight suicient to avoid being lifted .by the pressure of the bed u. It rests at ordinary times upon the carriages o; but it can be raised a small amount by an inclined plate s, jointed to a horizontal slide 1 and capable of passing. under a gudgeon 2 of oval shape belonging to the nipper r. The same arrangement existing on-both the right and left of the machine, the nipper is raised in a paralleledirection. A spring l tends to keep the slide l pressed toward the right.

I will now describe, by means of Figs. 3, 4, and 5, the various phases of formation of the fold. 1n Fig. 3 the folder a is at the middle of its stroke and is moving toward the left, taking with it the fabric t, the last fold ot' which is retained under the nipper on the IOO `tion.

right. (Not shown.) On arriving near the left nipper (seeFig. 4) the folder' a encounters first an inclined arm 3, which compels it to be depressed by oscillating on its axles c. Then it abuts against the lower projection of the slide 1, which it carries with it in its stroke, so as to raise the nipper by the inclined plate z. Before the nipper rises the folder ct is lying completely down on the fabric, which it holds firmly by its lower plate fn, while t-he upper plate fn', having encountered a fixed stop 4, remains behind the nipper. The new fold has thus been brought by the plate n to the precise point where it should arrive. (See Fig. 5.) The nipper, which was raised to allow of the arrival of the plate n', has passed the inclined plate z and again fallen upon the fold, which still contains the plate fn, and the movement of the folding-bar commences in the opposite direc- In this movement the plate n, consequent on its beveled form and polished surface, readily disengages itself from the fold, which remains held by the nipper. The inclined plate 'e' returns to the position Fig. 4, but without raising the nipper, because the inclined plate z passes over the gudgeon 2. The folder a in its course from left to right entrains a new fold, which it conducts in the same manner below the nipper on the right symmetrical with that on the left and operating in the same manner.

To prevent vibration of the folderain working at great speed, it can be guided in the greater part of its course by prolonging the inclined arms 3 or by a special guide giving to it progressively the desired inclination.

The bed et, guided vertically byslides 5, descends at each motion the thickness of a fold, and the working surface remains constantly at the same height, limited by that of the nippers r r'.

The length of the folds is regulated, as before mentioned, by the stroke of the folder c, which can be varied by moving the crank-pin 7c. The distance apart of the nippers fr r shouldalso be regulated according to this length, and for this purpose the carriages U U, which carry the nippers and slide horizontally on guides 6, can be made to approach or separate simultaneously fr om the center of the machine by means of right and left handed screws 7, operated together by a transverse shaft 8.

The folder ct might, when required, itself draw 0E the fabric which it folds; but it is preferable, in order to take care of the fabric and to prevent it sliding from under the nippers r r by a toosudden tension, to furnish it automatically tothe folder, which can be effected in the following manner:

The fabric wound on a roller 9 passes first over two rollers 10 11, covered with cloth, velvet, or other frictional material and driven by the shaft m by means of a variable-speed gearfor example, by a friction-disk 12 and a pulley 13, moving lengthwise of its axle 1i by means of a screw 15. The axle 14 transmits its motion by gearing to the roller 10, which in its turn transmits it to the roller 11 by means of an endless chain. The speed of rotation of the roller 11 is a little greater than that of the roller 10, so as to keep the fabric stretched. From the roller 11 the fabric passes over a bar-16 after having formed a loop 17, then ybetween tension-bars 18, and finally over the bar sat the center of the machine, whence it is delivered to the folder a. The speed of the fabric is regulated by the position of the pulley 13 to furnish in a continuous and uniform manner the length of a double fold for each tov-and-fro motion of the folder; but as the latter has not a uniform consumption the loop`17 stores the excess of the fabric while the consumption is below the medium and gives it off when the consumption increases. The loop 17 should be sufficiently large to provide for these differences. The size of it can be regulated in working by turning by hand the rollers 10 11.

1t will be understood that the mechanical arrangements above described to give motion to the various parts of the machine may vary in their details, the essential object of the invention consistingin the rectilinear motion of the folder of special form, producing by itself, at the extremities of its stroke, the rise and the fall of the nippers, and holding the fabric during the rise of said nippers, this arrangement insuring the formation of folds IOO of exact lengths; in the automatic descent of the bed, constantly holding the folds secure, even duringtheir formation; and in the automatic feeder, enabling the lightest fabrics to be exactly folded without injuring them.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for folding fabrics, the combination of an oscillating folder formed of two parallel and movable plates between which the fabric passes, a bed supporting the folded fabric, counterweights pressing said bed upward, nippers holding the folds pressed upward by the bed, means for causing the folder to assume a horizontal position at the ends of itsstroke, means for raising the nippers to give place to the fold brought by the folder and fixed abutments pushing back the upper plate of the folder to allow the nippers to work, substantially as herein set forth.

2. In a machine for folding fabrics, the combination of an oscil-lating folder formed of two parallel and movable plates between which the fabric passes, a bed supporting the folded fabric, counterweights pressing said bed upward, nippers holding the folds pressed upward by the bed, means for causing the folder to assume a horizontal position at the ends of its stroke, means for raising the nippers to give place to the fold brought by the folder, fixed abutments pushing back lthe upper plate of the folder to allow the nippers to work and IIO InWitness whereof I have hereunto set my my hand in presence of two Witnesses.

ANDR DAUVERGNE.

Witnesses:

GASTON JEAUNIAUX,

in set forth. l y MARIS VAGHOR. 

